It is known that arc faults can cause system failures, shock hazards and fires in power distribution systems such as photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems and other direct current system such as micro grids.
An arc fault might arise from break or interruption of a cable, for example due to wind damage or thermal cycling in a photovoltaic array. Arcing in the DC side of photovoltaic arrays is particularly problematic as the photovoltaic array will continuously supply current therefore maintaining the arc. It is therefore highly desirable to be able to detect arc faults and take appropriate measures, such as opening switches in the photovoltaic array or in devices connected to the array in order to inhibit the current flow.
Photovoltaic arrays are often associated with switched mode inverters or other switched mode power supplies and as a result the current flow from the PV array can change rapidly due to noise being generated by the switching converter. This makes arc fault detection a difficult task.